[Chief Rum]

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS

OFF: 30 RUSH: 10 PASS: 32
DEF: 2 RUND: 3 PASD: 3

Cap Room: $36,530,000
1st Need: Start QB
2nd Need: Start T
3rd Need: Start RB

Key Free Agents From Team

Name                Pos   Exp   LY Role   Key Stats

Quincy Carter*       QB     4   Start QB  2267 yd, 66%, 19 td, 21 int, 76.5 QBR
Troy Hambrick        RB     5   Start RB  889 yd, 3 td, 20 rec, 112 rec yd, 1 rec td
Dan Campbell*        TE     6   B-Up TE   6 rec, 55 yd, 1 td, 2 krb
Gennaro DiNapoli      C     7   Start C   23 krb, 29.1 krb%, 7 ska, 2.0 sk%
Ryan Young*           T     6   Start T   16 krb, 33.3 krb%, 8 ska, 2.1 sk%
Billy Cundiff         K     5   Kicker    24-32 FG, 28-28 PAT
Toby Gowin*           P     8   Punter    110 pnt, 39.4 avg, 23 In20
Michael Myers        DT     7   Start DT  49 tkl, 5.5 sk, 7 hurr
Ebenezer Ekuban      DE     6   Start DE  12 tkl, 5 hurr
Greg Ellis       #17 DE     7   Start DE  46 tkl, 11.5 sk, 21 hurr
Mario Edwards        CB     5   PT St CB  23 tkl, 1 int, 3 defn
Derek Ross*          CB     3   PT St CB  31 tkl, 3 sk, 6 defn
Pete Hunter*         CB     3   B-Up CB   50 tkl, 3 sk, 6 defn

*- team released player just prior to free agency

Comments: In sheer numbers, the Cowboys didn't lsoe much. And they have a good amount of money to throw around to replace what they lost. But it's never easy to replace both your starting quarterback and running back in one offseason. Toss on heavy losses at defensive end--another high cost position--and you will likely see big sums of Dallas cap money tied into a few free agents this year. If they satisfactorily fill in those spots, the rest of the holes on this team will seem minor. They do need to replace their second corner and a defensive tackle on defense, and a couple key linemen on offense, but getting the big boys covered is the top priority.


NEW YORK GIANTS

OFF: 4 RUSH: 22 PASS: 3
DEF: 11 RUND: 7 PASD: 16

Cap Room: $21,580,000
1st Need: Start C
2nd Need: Resrv RB
3rd Need: Resrv DT

Key Free Agents From Team

Name                Pos   Exp   LY Role   Key Stats

Ron Dayne*           RB     5   B-Up RB   220 yd, 2 td
Ike Hilliard*        WR     7   Start WR  56 rec, 714 yd, 3 td
Matt Bryant*          K     5   Kicker    32-42, 34-34 PAT
Jeff Feagles*     #19 P    17   Punter    89 pnt, 38.1 avg, 28 In20
Cornelius Griffin    DT     5   Start DT  46 tkl, 2.5 sk, 10 hurr
Brandon Short       OLB     5   Start LB  99 tkl, 1.5 sk, 1 int, 4 defn
Kato Serwanga        CB     6   B-Up CB   39 tkl, 3 sk, 2 int, 4 defn

*- team released player just prior to free agency

Comments: The Giants don't have a lot of cap room in comparison to others, but the nice thing for them is that they likely don't need it. They lose just three starters overall, the biggest of which is the loss of Hilliard. The Giants were playing very well at the end of the year, and were statistically one of the better teams in the league. They should be in a position to move even further forward in the NFC. Their needs are so insignificant that the game only lists one starter as a need, with two reserve spots filling the other two "needs".


PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

OFF: 17 RUSH: 3 PASS: 22
DEF: 15 RUND: 14 PASD: 13

Cap Room: $41,080,000
1st Need: Start WR
2nd Need: Start RB
3rd Need: Resrv ILB

Key Free Agents From Team

Name                Pos   Exp   LY Role   Key Stats

Duce Staley*         RB     8   Start RB  1021 yd, 8 td, 
Chad Lewis*          TE     7   PT St TE  23 rec, 240 yd, 1 td
Todd Pinkston*       WR     5   Start WR  50 rec, 725 yd, 3 td
James Thrash*        WR     8   Start WR  62 rec, 779 yd, 7 td
Freddie Mitchell*    WR     4   B-Up WR   31 rec, 327 yd, 1 td
Jermane Mayberry*     G     9   Start G   18 krb, 30.5 krb%, 4 ska, 1.0 sk%
David Akers*      #11 K     6   Kicker    23-30 FG, 34-34 PAT
Dirk Johnson*         P     4   Punter    96 pnt, 35.8 avg, 33 In20
Carlos Emmons   #20 OLB     9   Start LB  112 tkl, 3.5 sk, 8 hurr, 1 int, 13 defn
Bobby Taylor     #17 CB    10   Start CB  68 tkl, 3 int, 10 defn
Troy Vincent      #5 CB    13   Start CB  35 tkl, 1.5 sk, 2 int, 4 defn
Clinton Hart*        FS     4   Start S   44 tkl, 2 int, 3 defn

*- team released player just prior to free agency

Comments: Two years ago, the Eagles' defense was amazing. Now, it looks like it could be falling apart, at least if the Eagles on't take proper steps to replace the key players they are losing. Hugh Douglas left for Jacksonville last offseason, and Shawn Barber for Kansas City. MLB Jeremiah Trotter went the division rival Skins. Douglas is one of the best defensive linemen in the league, and all Barber did was win the defensive player of the year award this past season. Now, both starting corners (and both of them stars) are walking, and they are being joined by another good top-twenty linebacker in Emmons. Star safety Brian Dawkisn is all that's left of the top defenders on that old defense, it seems. The Eagles do have a lot of cap room to try and bring these guys back, though, so there is still hope. It's just going to take a little hand-wringing ont he part of Philly fans before they can put it together again. As if they needed it, the Eagles will also need to replace most of their receivers corp, their starting tight end and running back, and a starting lineman.


WASHINGTON REDSKINS

OFF: 24 RUSH: 17 PASS: 26
DEF: 3 RUND: 29 PASD: 2

Cap Room: $31,080,000
1st Need: Start DT
2nd Need: Start DE
3rd Need: Start RB

Key Free Agents From Team

Name                Pos   Exp   LY Role   Key Stats

Rob Johnson*         QB    10   B-Up QB   98 yd, 39%, 1 int, 34.7 QBR
Trung Canidate*      RB     5   B-Up RB   348 yd, 3 td
Byron Chamberlain    TE    10   Start TE  49 rec, 490 yd, 2 td, 3 krb
Pat Johnson          WR     5   B-Up WR   42 rec, 424 yd
Dave Fiore*           G     7   Start G   14 krb, 22.9 krb%, 6 ska, 1.2 sk%
John Hall*            K     8   Kicker    30-46 FG, 13-14 PAT
Bryan Barker*         P    15   Punter    97 pnt, 37.1 avg, 19 In20
Jermaine Haley*      DT     5   Start DT  29 tkl, 4 sk, 6 hurr
Brandon Noble*       DT     6   Start DT  26 tkl, 1 sk, 16 hurr
Regan Upshaw*        DE     9   Start DE  34 tkl, 4.5 sk, 5 hurr
Marco Coleman        DE    13   PT St DE  9 tkl, 2.5 sk, 1 hurr
Peppi Zellner        DE     6   PT St DE  12 tkl, 3.5 sk, 5 hurr
Champ Bailey*     #7 CB     6   Start CB  66 tkl, 3 int, 16 defn
Andre Lott*          SS     3   Start S   59 tkl, 1 sk, 5 int, 7 defn
David Terrell    #13 SS     5   Start S   92 tkl, 3 sk, 2 int, 5 defn

*- team released player just prior to free agency

Comments: The Skins are an offense-poor team with a good defense. But they are going to have to work to keep that defense together before they can afford to take a stab at improving the offense. It starts with two huge losses in the secondary in top twenty players Bailey and Terrell, and a third secondary starter in Lott. Then the entire starting defensive line, including the part-timers who split time at one end spot, will also need to be replaced. All that will need to be addressed before they can even begin to turn around the 24th-ranked offense in the league. Fortunately, they only lose two offensive starters, and neither starter is particularly key.

CR